Back in October last year, I wrote a piece naming the Championship player I believe we should be going all out to sign in January.
We were heavily linked with Jarrod Bowen, but it was QPR star Eberechi Eze I was desperate to see Newcastle United go for – a hugely exciting talent who would get bums off seats and make even the drabbest of Steve Bruce sides much more watchable.
Almost a year on, the 22-year-old star has just today completed a £16m move (plus add ons) to the Premier League – however he’s arrived at Palace, not St James’ Park.
Since my piece last year we have been credited with an ‘interest’ via Sky Sports, The Chronicle and The Athletic, but you have to question whether we made any serious attempt to bring him to Tyneside.
It seems he preferred to stay in London, yet a £16m move for a player of his huge potential seemed like the sort of deal even Mike Ashley should’ve been all over.
Why? Because in two years time, I predict he’ll be worth £50m plus, be deemed one of the Premier League’s most dynamic talents and a full England international that top six clubs will be scrapping over.
Maybe he was adamant he’d only pick a Premier League club in London, but QPR’s Les Ferdinand did tell Newcastle Fans TV just a few months ago that he was ours if we paid up – promising to sell his former club to the England U-21 star should we match their asking price.
We may be on a budget this summer and needing to spent most of our budget on a striker, but Palace’s £16m move for Eze is a deal we’ll seriously live to regret.
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